Ground lever for railway points and switches



Dec. 27,1927. 1,653,952 J. J. FERGUSON ETAL. 4

GROUND LEVER 'FOR RAILWAY POINTS AND SWITCHES Filed June 25, 1927 Patented Dec. 27, 1927.

UNITED STATES PATENT orrrcs.

JOHN JAMES FERGUSON, ROBERT MAGUIRE, GEORGE JOHNSTON rEnenson, .ionn

JAMES FERGUSON, JR., JAMES HENRY ANDERSON, AND PHILIP MCGUIRE, 0F GLAS GOW, SCOTLAND.

GROUND LEVER FOR RAILWAY PoINTs AND SWITCHES.

Application filed June 23, 1927, Serial no. 200,790, andin Great Britain octoberee, was.

This invention relates to a ground lever for railway points and switches including a pointor switch-operating arms formed as one member of a toggle, and a spring urged plunger constituting the other member of the toggle and tending to hold the arm in one of two extreme positions, and an operating handle having a connectlon with the arm which is so arranged that repeated movements of the handle causethe arm to rock first in one direction and then in the other direction.

The invention has for its object to provide simplified means for connecting "the handle with the point orswitch-operating arm. I

With this object in view the lnventlon provides an improved pointor switch-operating mechanism of which the operatlve connection between the handle and the arm is constituted by a bifuracted connecting link jointed at one end to the handle and having at the other end, which overlies the arm, overturned horns, engageable alter.- nately with notches formed one on each side of the fulcrum of the arm, the horns and the walls of the notches being relatively inclined so that, when one notch is engaged by the relative horn and the link is tensioned to shift the arm, the link is rocked about its longitudinal axis sufiiciently to move the disengaged horn out of the path of the upper boundaries of the disengaged notch.

In the accompanying drawing Fig. 1 is a part elevation, part vertical section of a pointor switch-operating mechanism constructed in accordance with the invention, Fig. 2 a plan, Fig. 3 a plan showing the cover removed to expose the mechanism, Fig. an end elevation of the point--01- switch-operating arm, Fig. 5 a fragmentary plan of oneend of said arm, and Figs. v6 and 7 are, respectively, an inverted plan and an end elevation of the connecting link.

The mechanism shown includes point or switch operating arm 1 which, together with a spring-urged plunger 2, constitutes a toggle mechanism. The arm 1 is fulcrumed 011 a. pin secured to the point-box l and is pivotally connected at 5 to the plunger 2. The plunger 2 is slidable against the action of a spring 7 in a socket 8 which presents at 9 a knife-edge engag ng a jaw 10 formed on the box 1-, the knife-edge being notched at 11 for engagement with a ridge 12 which,

prevents upward movement of the socket 8. 'lhearm 1 is connected at 13 to thensual rod 1st connected in turn to the point or bra-nches 18, 18 of which the ends remote from the knuckle-joint overlie the arm" 1, the said ends being formed with overturned horns 20, 21 engageable alternately with notches 20 and 21 one on each side of the fulcrum of the arm. The horns and the walls of the notches are relatively inclined, so that, when a horn effectively engages a notch and the connecting link 18, 1 8" is tensioned, the link is rocked about its longitudinal axis sufficiently to move thedisengaged horn out of the path of the upper boundaries of the disengaged notch. i

In the operation of the mechanism to shift the arm l from the Fig. 3 position intothe next position, i. e., into the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 3, the handle 16 is operated in the direction indicated by the arrow A. in Fig. 1 to move the link 18,18 whereby the horn 20 is caused to enterthe notch 20 'When tension is applied to the link 18, 18 by the handle 16, the born 20 forcibly engages the notch 20 and by reason of the inclination of the horn relatively to the walls of the notch 20 the link is caused to rock about its longitudinal axis sufficiently to ensure that the horn 21 is clear of the upper boundaries of the notch 21Kas shown in Fig. 4. Continued tension applied to the link 18, 18 is accompanied by shifting movement of the arm 1 into the position indicated by the dotted lines in Fig. 3, the born 21 during the shifting movement riding over the surface of the arm 1 clear of the notch handle, the boundaries of the notch 21 being then clear of the horn 21. VVhenthe 'arm 1 is in the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 3, the handle 16, when released,

falls backwards by gravity into the posit-ion indicated in full linesini Fig fLthis position being such that the horn 2lis caused to ented the notch 21 and on the link 18, 18'

being tensioned, the link is rocked into aposition such that the horn 20 is clear 01": the

boundaries of the notch 20 ,continiied tension on the link being accompanied by rocking movement of the arm intothe position shown in full linesin Fig. 3. i

The mechanism accommodated in the box 4.- is enclosed by a cover 22 hinged at 23. Formed in the COVEIQQ are lngsi24: which constitute guides limiting the lateralinovemerit of the link 18,-18.1 The arm 1 is 26 which, when the rod 14 is disconnected,

limit the travel of the toggle mechanism; We claim:- i i i i In pointor switch-operating mechanism of the kind referred to, in combination, a

l'OCliZllJlQ handle; a pivoted operating arm having notches one onench side o't its pivot, j

and a link for operativcly connecting said handle and Saul :n-in. said link heing ointed names to this specification.

JOHN JAMES FERGUSON. aonem matinee.

GEO. JOHNSTON teiiccscii. JOHN nines Feesueoii, Junior, nis. H. mmmsoa.

PHILIP McGUIRE. 

